Public awareness campaigns must be launched to overcome the fear of COVID-19 so that patients can be persuaded to seek care sooner, radiologist Dr. Akshay Baheti has urged in an opinion piece posted on 10 June by the Mumbai Mirror.
Media campaigns should be targeted at immune-compromised and poor populations, according to Baheti, an assistant professor at Tata Memorial Center's department of radiology in Mumbai and affiliate instructor at the University of Washington Medical Center's department of radiology in Seattle.
"We also need to identify major potential areas of collateral (like tuberculosis, cancer, HIV, etc.)," he noted, adding that strategies to improve access to healthcare, including expanding the use of telemedicine, should be prioritized.
Teleconsultations have a vital role to play, and smaller hospitals must be helped so that they again feel comfortable treating patients. Adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and timely COVID-19 testing are essential, he concluded.
